Collapsible day viewing and protective device for fluoroscope screens



Jan. 9, 1951 T. R. ROSENBERG COLLAPSIBLE DAY VIEWING AND PROTECTIVEDEVICE FOR FLUOROSCOPE SCREENS Filed Sept. 14, 1949 INVENTOR. THEODORER. R0$EN8ER6 AGENT iatented jan. 9,

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE DAY VIEWING AND PROTEC- TIVEDEVICE FOR FLUOROSCOPE SCREENS Theodore R. Rosenberg, New York, N. Y.

Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,721

4 Claims.

I My invention relates to fluoroscopic screens, more particularly thetype of screens used by the .medical profession for examining the chestor other parts of the body of a patient.

Heretofore it has been customary to make these examinations in adarkened room, calling for elaborate preparations especially whencarried out during the hours of daylight and inconveniencing both thephysician and the patient.

-It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide meansfor enabling a physician to examine a patient fluoroscopically in thepresence of ordinary illumination.

Another object of my invention is to provide means selectively operablefor the detailed observation of any portion of the screen or for anoverall viewing of the entire image.

A further object of this invention is to provide convenient means forprotecting a fluorescent screen from the harmful effect of daylight whennot in use.

A further object is to provide means for making it possible to view afluorescent screen in the manner referred to while leaving the hands ofthe observer free, thereby enabling him to take notes or make necessaryadjustments at the controls of the machine.

Yet a further object of the invention i to provide a single devicecapable of performing all of the various functions set forth above.

The invention will be particularly described drawn to a still largerscale and showing the device in position of use;

Fig. is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification;and

Fig. 6 is a diagonal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 4, there is shown a conventionalscreen ID, of fluorescent material, held by suitable means such as clips35 in a frame l4 which in turn is supported in a bracket 38; thisbracket is mounted for vertical movement on a standard l2 which itengages through a guide sleeve l3, the latter being secured by an arm 39to the bracket 38. The sleeve I3 is 2 suspended from a chain H which maybe led in conventional manner over rollers (not shown) and provided atits other extremity with a counterweight for keeping the screen l0 andits associated parts in balance.

In accordance with the present invention, '1 provide the screen [0 witha viewing device l5 comprising a bellows [6 which may be extendable to alength of, say, 18 inches. The rear of the bellows it is secured to aframe member [1, as by screws l8; similar but longer screws l9 serve to.Secure the frame I! to the frame I4. A rubber asket 33 is interposedbetween the two frames, this gasket having suitable recesses, as shown,to accommodate the clips 35.

Attached to the front or smaller end of the frusto-pyramidal bellows i6is an eye piece 20 provided at its free end, which is open toward theobserver, with an annular gasket 2| consisting, for example, of a rubbertube. Disposed internally of the eye piece 20 is a lens carrier 22,pivotally mounted therein by a pin 23 which extends through the wall ofthe eye piece and carries at its projecting end a handle 24 fordisplacing the lens carrier from its vertical or operative position,shown in full lines in Fig. 4, into its horizontal orinoperativeposition, shown in dot-dash lines in the same figure. Thelens carrier 22 holds a pair of lenses 25, which may be biconvexmagnifying lenses of, say, 12 to 18 inches depth of focus. Back of thelens carrier 22 a protective lead glass plate 26 may be inserted intothe eye piece 20.

In order to prevent the bellows I6 from sagging under the weight of theeye piece, I provide four diagonally arranged resilient elements, suchas elastic threads 21, which extend from the four corners of the framell toward corresponding corners of the frame 28 through which the eyepiece is secured to the bellows, These elastic threads should be strongenough to maintain the eye piece, when released by the operator, insubstantially centered position'with respect to the screen Ill, at thesame time collapsing the bellows as shown in Fig. 3, without howeverunduly impeding the extension of the bellows by the observer and themovement of the eye piece relative to the screen. A head band 29,provided with an elastic insert 30 for adjustment to different headsizes, is attached to the eye piece 20 and enables the operaton'asillustrated in Fig. 1, to extend the .bellOws and adjust the eye piecerelative to the screen without using his hands or risking the intrusionof light between his eyes and the eye piece.

balance whether When not in use, the eye piece is preferably encased ina cover 3! which bears against the frame 28, thereby effectivelyprotecting the sensitive fluorescent screen ill from the eflects ofdaylight or other harmful radiation, the rear of the screen beingconventionally protected by a resinous plate 32, permeable to X-rays butotherwise opaque, which is permanently secured to the screen 19. Thestrap 291may' be'detached before encasement if it cannot be convenientlyaccommodated inside the cover 3 I.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the frame I! is provided atits fQlll? corners with holes 34 adapted to receive bolts 36screw'edinto frame I4, these bolts projecting beyond the frame if! may besnapped around' the projecting end of bolt 36, as"shown;thereby'holding" the frame I! in place and urgingittoward the frame" Hi.It will be understood that the" stiffness of the clips 31 should begreate'r than thatof' the diagonaily extending resilient elements('Which'in' this modificationhavebeen shown" as helical spr'ingsfi) 'in'orde r to" sure {good contact between the frames Mjil and the gaskettii;

" Fr'or'nFi-g; l'itshould'be clear that the operator, upon strapping theeye piece 29 to" his' head f jl meansjcf the band 29, may extend thebellows i6 by"siniply stepping or bending back to th de re dista c'iromi e m a a align the eye piece'gfl with any portiohof'the jjsfcreen"by mocements of his head, thus leaving 'his -handsjfree forother tasks.For the observation of details the handle 24 may-be' turn'ed up, therebybringing the lenses -25 into operative 'posi tion,"and the beHOWs ma-y'be somewhat rei esee to bring" the eyes of the observer "closer to thescreen, whereas for a viewing of the"en- "ftire f'screen surface thelength of the bellows -placermeved'out of'the wayfas desired. It

will be apparent that'the elasticity of the insert should-also beconsiderably'ies's than --that"of "the elernents' 2 T or 2 T therebyinsuring full contact between the face of the observer ahdthe eye piece.r 'The welght of the device 15 should be small in' relation to that ofthe sliding assembly Z l 9, l3, M138, 39 so that the'screen willremain-in ornot thedevice is attached thereto. l "It'is to be noted thatthe invention is not limited to "the precise embodiments shown andnescribed".butis,"on the contrary, capable of numerous adaptations andmodifications within the scope oilthe appended'claims.

'Igilaim:

1.1:: an apparatus having a fluorescent screen and viewing means forobserving said screen, the combination, with an extendible bellowshaving alargerend secured to said screen and a smaller nd secured tosaid viewin m ans, of res l ently contracti fl xibl m an exerting a conac s rc i a gene ly axi .cl rectiq 1 1 91 sa smaller end, therebytending to collapse said bellows with said viewing means centered withrespect to said screen, said contractile means by the flexibilitythereof permitting sideways movement of said viewing means substantiallyparallel to said screen.

2. In an apparatus having a fluorescent screen and viewing means forobserving said screen, the combination, with an extendible hellowshavinga larger encl"secured' to said "screen and a smaller end securedto said viewing means, of a plurality of resiliently contractile,flexible, elongated elements extending in differentdirectionsbetween-sa-id screen and said viewing means a degrerting acontracting force in a generally axial direction 'upon said smaller end,thereby tending to collapse-said bellows with said viewing meanscentered with respect to said screen, said contractile elements by theirflexibility permitting sideways movement of said viewing 'meanssubstantially parallel -to said" screen. i

-3'. "I n"an apparatus having a fluorescents'creen and viewing means forobserving sald screen, the combination, with-an eX-tendible bellows'having a larger end secured tos'aid'screen and a smaller endsecmedtosaid viewing' inean's'; of a plurality of resilientlycontractile, fleiiible, elongated elementsexteridin'g within saidbellows from end to end betweensaid screen and said viewing means andexerting a contracting force in agenerally axial direction upon saidsmaller end, thereby tendingt'o collapse said bellows with said viewingmeans centered withr'espect to said screen, said co'ntractilefelementsby theirflexibility permitting sidewaysmovement of "said viewing meanssubstantially parallel to said screen.

AI In an apparatus having a fluorescent screen and viewingmeans"forobserving said'screen;the combination,- with' an extendiblebellows 'of frusto-pyramidal configuration, having"- its'large'r endsecured-to said" screen and itssmaller 'end secured 'to'fsaid viewingmeans; of a' plurality er resiliently contractile, flexible, elongatedelements extending betweencorresponding corners of said smaller and"larger ends and exerting? a contracting force in a generally axialdirection upon said smaller end, thereby tending to 1e01- lapsesaidbellows with said viewing means .c'e'ntered with respect to'sai'dscreen", said-contractile elements by their flexibility-permittingsideways movement ofsaid' viewing means substantially parallel to saidscreen. 'THEODORE R. ROSENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .I .1 I aI UNITED ,s' ratrns .rati snjrs Nu mber :Name a v Date 38 2.92 J y 3 i38699,767 .SaXby ,May 12, i902 f703,.55 l lappold July 1,1902 984,520Campbell I Feb. 14, ,l9 1 1 l,l 4 3 ,0fl 5 Freud June 1 5 1 9l52,290,767 Renter July 2,1, 19 42 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country v Date33,231 Holland ,June l6,"'l934 735,512 France '.,N ov. ,1 1932

